Quoted from pinballaddicted:Wow! Lets all stop buying NIB machines so all the pinball factories can close. Bit like the same thing that happened in the late 90's. Were you guys around then? Gary Stern was the only person with the drive and passion to keep pinball manufacturing alive. Stern still happen to be the largest manufacturer of pinball machines in the world.
Driving away pinball enthusiasts that like Stern machines is not good for Pinside either. Maybe instead of hating one manufacturer you can start loving another? You guys are doing your best to destroy our much loved hobby. You are a disgrace to the silver ball.
Sycophant ALERT!!!!
We are not OBLIGATED to buy pinball machines. Stern is not ENTITLED to my money. They still need to create a well made product that has some value for what it costs. You're saying you'll buy garbage for $8k+ to keep their doors open? Enjoy....but don't call those of us who refuse "disgraces".
The "hobby" will always exist. New manufacturers give us choices, but they're irrelevant to "the hobby". The hobby = pinball...there will always be TONS of pinball machines in circulation when no one is making them anymore. If any new game manufacturer is "destroyed", it's due to their own actions, not the customer base rejecting their product.
Do you even know why Williams closed in the 90's? The arcade was dying, and pins didn't earn on location. There was no "home market". Slot machines made more money for them, so they quit. Why did Gary keep doing it? Cuz he had no competition and could eek out a living as the only manufacturer of a niche retro coin-op device.